“J. Peterman” is a name known to more than 40 million Americans, thanks to the witty, entertaining “Owner’s Manual” mail-order catalog, hailed as “the stuff of literature” (New York Times Magazine), and regular appearances of a J. Peterman character on the popular TV comedy, Seinfeld.

Now the real J. Peterman steps from behind his persona in a candid memoir, Peterman Rides Again, that interweaves the rise and fall of The J. Peterman Company with the personal adventures that shaped the man himself.

The J. Peterman brand was built on the aura of romance that an object like an ankle-length cowboy duster could evoke. Making the brand a success required the entrepreneurial qualities of passion, imagination, faith, versatility, energy, risk-taking and hard work. The J. Peterman company ultimately went bankrupt; Peterman outlined the lessons he learned from that experience in an acclaimed article in the Harvard Business Review.

Through autobiographical anecdotes (including his early years as a minor league baseball player), Peterman explains how a person can turn dreams into action, find courage to go beyond the conventional, and be part of a team without sacrificing individuality. He shows how true passion and drive aren’t defeated by failure, but use it as a stepping stone for the next venture.

Peterman talks about what it takes to create a successful business out of practically nothing and how to breathe a distinctive identity into a product and keep the team behind it on track. For anyone who is growing a business, or thinking of starting one, Peterman offers hard-won lessons on entrepreneurship and the painful (but essential) art of learning from mistakes.